Aboriginal communities

We support Aboriginal people to care for Country, share traditional land management knowledge and help protect and strengthen Aboriginal cultural heritage.

We acknowledge that Aboriginal people are the traditional owners of Australia and have practiced sustainable natural resource management and cared for flora, fauna and biodiversity.

Aboriginal people have a strong social, spiritual and cultural connection with their country.

NSW is comprised of numerous Aboriginal nations who have an ongoing responsibility to respect and protect their culture.

The 2011 Census shows that 208,364 Aboriginal people live in New South Wales - this is 31% of the Australian Aboriginal population. In NSW, 95% of Aboriginal people live in regional areas or major cities - unlike any other part of Australia.

Delivering services to the Aboriginal community

Aboriginal communities are identified as key customers for Local Land Services.

Under the Local Land Services Act 2013 we are responsible for:

communicating, consulting and engaging with the Aboriginal community

including the Aboriginal community, to encourage participation in relation to the delivery of local land services.

Our State Strategic Plan outlines a management strategy specific to the Aboriginal community, which is to: deliver services that support Aboriginal people to care for Country and share traditional land management knowledge.

We have numerous Aboriginal staff and we are working in partnerships with individuals and organisations, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal to deliver these services.

providing equitable opportunities for and with First Nations people across NSW.

It was developed with input from more than 2,700 individuals and local Aboriginal groups as the result of 57 consultations across NSW to help develop practical actions to build respectful relationships and create opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.